We’ve found that the Lowcountry communities are very welcoming of our four-legged best buddies when it comes to their local beaches. Let’s reward their hospitality by following the specific rules of each town and being sure to always pick up after our pet.

Hilton Head Beaches
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
From the Friday of Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day, are permitted on leash on public beaches before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m.; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. dogs are not permitted on the beach. From April 1 to the Thursday before Memorial Day and from the Tuesday after Labor Day to September 30, dogs on leash are allowed on leash on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. All other times, dogs under voice control are allowed off leash on the beach. Hilton Head public beaches include:
ā€¢ Alder Lane Beach (off South Forest Beach Drive)
ā€¢ Coligny Beach (Coligny Circle at Pope Avenue and South Forest Beach Drive): This is the islandā€™s busiest beach.
ā€¢ Singleton Beach at Dreissen Beach Park (end of Bradley Beach Road)
ā€¢ Folly Field Beach (off Folly Field Road on Starfish Road)
ā€¢ Burkeā€™s Beach (off William Hilton Parkway at Bradley Beach Road)
ā€¢ Fish Haul Creek Park Beach (off Beach City Road): This beach is on Port Royal Sound, not the ocean.

Fripp Island Beaches
Fripp Island, SC 29920
You can explore the beaches of Fripp Island with your pet on leash.

Hunting Island State Park
2555 Sea Island Parkway
Hunting Island, SC 29920
South Carolinaā€™s most popular state park is a semi-barrier island that attracts an incredible range of marine life, from loggerhead sea turtles to dolphins to sea horses, as well as some that are can be dangerous to you and your pet, like alligators and coral snakes, so take care. The park includes 5 miles of beach and thousands of acres of marsh, tidal creeks, and coastal forests, an ocean inlet, a saltwater lagoon, and the Hunting Island Lighthouse, built in the 1870s. Pets on a 6-foot leash are allowed on the beach and throughout the park, except for park buildings and rental cabins.

Edisto Island Beaches
Edisto Island, SC 29438
From May 1 to October 31, pets on leash are allowed on the beach. From November 1 to April 30, pets under voice control are allowed on the beach off leash.

Edisto Beach State Park
8377 State Cabin Road
Edisto Island, SC 29438
www.southcarolinaparks.com/park-finder/state-park/1298.aspx
Just one hour from Charleston, this park offers an oceanfront campground sited on a palmetto-lined beach, as well as miles of hiking and biking trails, including one that leads to a 4,000-year-old shell midden. Pets on a 6-foot leash are allowed throughout the park, except in the rental cabins and cabin areas.

Kiawah Island Beaches
Kiawah Island, SC 29455
From March 16 to October 31, pets on leash are permitted on the beach. In the sections of the beach posted “Dog Use Areas” (located east of the Beach Club and west of the Beachwalker Park), your pet can be off leash if under voice control. From November 1 through March 15, your pet can enjoy the beach off leash. Pets are prohibited at all times from those areas posted as “Critical Habitat Areas.” When your pet is off leash, you are required to have a leash on your person and to use it if requested by another beachgoer. Please leash your pet at all times around the islandā€™s ponds, as these are known alligator habitats. At Kiawah Beachwalker Park (located at the west end of the island on Beachwalker Drive), pets must be on a leash at all times.

Folly Beach
Folly Island, SC 29439
May 1 to September 30, pets are not permitted on the beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. All other times, your pet must be on leash. Dogs are not allowed on the pier.

Sullivanā€™s Island Beaches
Sullivan’s Island, SC 29482
Dogs are permitted on the beaches, but they must have a valid Sullivanā€™s Island permit, whether you are a resident or just vistiting. They are available at the Town Hall and are pricey for visitors–$35. May 1 to September 30, from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m., your dog may be off leash; from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., dogs are not permitted on the beach; and from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m., your dog must be on leash. From October 1 to April 30, dogs may be off leash 5 a.m. to noon but must be on leash the rest of the day.

Isle of Palms Beaches
Isle of Palms, SC 29451
April 1 to September 14, dogs may be off leash 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and on leash the rest of the day. From September 15 through March 31, dogs may be off leash 4 p.m. o 10 a.m. and on leash the rest of the day. However, even when your dog is off leash, you must have a leash on your person and your dog must be under direct voice control, even when heā€™s playing in the water.

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